Charlie Hughes Showcase – 8 Teams to Watch
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The annual IBCA/IHSAA Charlie Hughes Showcase is set to tip off on Friday evening with games primarily being played at Carmel High School and Westfield High School. There are just over 400 high school basketball teams in the state of…
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Continue ReadingThe annual IBCA/IHSAA Charlie Hughes Showcase is set to tip off on Friday evening with games primarily being played at Carmel High School and Westfield High School. There are just over 400 high school basketball teams in the state of Indiana and 159 of them will take part in this iconic event. For college programs, this is a live evaluation period so Division I coaches have the opportunity to be in the gym as well. This is always the best event of the summer in the Hoosier state. Let’s dive on in and take a look at eight teams that fans should get their eyes on this weekend.
Ben Davis
A year ago, the Giants started their reign at top by dominating the competition at the Charlie Hughes Showcase. Not only did they go 33-0 and win a state championship, but they also had an undefeated month of June. There are plenty of new faces for the defending champs, but rising senior guard K.J. Windham K.J. Windham 6'3" | PG Ben Davis | 2024 State #137 Nation IN and rising junior guard Mark Zackery Mark Zackery 6'0" | PG Ben Davis | 2025 State #398 Nation IN still makeup a very talented backcourt. Rising senior Mark White is having a breakout summer as well.
Carroll (Fort Wayne)
Carroll went from two wins to 12 between 2022 and 2023. It is fair to expect another nice improvement heading into next season. The backcourt of rising seniors Jaxon Pardon Jaxon Pardon 6'4" | SG Fort Wayne Carroll | 2024 State IN and Cannen Houser are the primary returners who both have multiple college offers. They provide good size, athleticism, and skill on the perimeter. Additionally, rising juniors Jaiyre Sampson Jaiyre Sampson 5'10" | PG Fort Wayne Carroll | 2025 State IN , Drelyn Truesdale Drelyn Truesdale 6'3" | SG Bishop Luers | 2025 State IN , and Dereon Truesdale Dereon Truesdale 6'3" | SG Bishop Luers | 2025 State IN will be back after very good sophomore seasons. The Chargers will look to challenge Wayne as the best in Fort Wayne.
Fishers
Jalen Haralson Jalen Haralson 6'7" | PG La Lumiere | 2025 #8 Nation IN is worth the price of admission and Fishers will have a chance to enter the 2023-2024 season as the #1 team in the state. The 6’7″ 5-star guard averaged 23.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game as a sophomore. 6’6″ rising senior forward Kennan Garner has experienced a breakout spring and should have plenty of college coaches following him this weekend.
Jeffersonville
If you are looking for an under-the-radar, up-and-coming team to follow this year look know further than Jeffersonville. The Red Devils went 13-9 last season, return their top three leading scorers, and six of their eight primary rotation players. 6’7″ forward Tre Singleton Tre Singleton 6'7" | PF Jeffersonville | 2025 State #225 Nation IN , who recently picked up his first offer from Richmond ‘ last=”], averaged 13.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Fellow rising juniors Michael Cooper Michael Cooper 6'3" | PG Jeffersonville | 2025 State IN and P.J. Douglas P.J. Douglas 6'4" | SF Jeffersonville | 2025 State IN added 13.1 and 12.8 points per game respectively. That Class of 2025 is excellent.
Kokomo
As he enters his senior season, fans around the state should be taking every opportunity to watch Flory Bidunga Flory Bidunga 6'9" | C Kokomo | 2024 State #7 Nation IN . The 5-star center is a generational talent that will look to lead the Wildkats deep in the state tournament once again. Bidunga averaged 20.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game as a junior. He will enter this coming season as the front-runner to win Mr. Basketball.
Mt. Vernon (Fortville)
The Marauders managed to go 16-9 last season with two freshmen leading them in scoring. Now, the dynamic duo of Julien Smith Julien Smith 5'10" | PG Cathedral | 2026 State IN and Luke Ertel Luke Ertel 6'1" | PG Mount Vernon (Fortville) | 2026 State IN are back flanked with classmate R’Mani Wells and rising junior Tanner Teschendorf. Rising senior Brady Fitzgerald Brady Fitzgerald 6'3" | SF Mount Vernon (Fortville) | 2024 IN should have a goo year as well. This will be one of the more exciting teams to watch this weekend at Charlie Hughes.
Noblesville
A 19-7 season culminated in the Millers winning Sectional 8 for the first time in over a decade. Graduating an Indiana All-Star won’t make it easy to repeat, but the cupboard is far from bare. Junior All-Star Aaron Fine Aaron Fine 6'3" | PG Noblesville | 2024 State IN will return after averaging 13.8 points and 3.5 assists per game. Fellow rising senior Hunter Walston Hunter Walston 6'6" | SF Noblesvile | 2024 State IN has had a breakout spring and summer as a versatile 6’6″ wing/forward. He averaged 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game last season. Additionally, look for rising sophomore Justin Curry II Justin Curry II 6'4" | SG Noblesville | 2026 State IN to have a big year. He is competing for the top spot in the Class of 2026 prospect rankings.
Plainfield
The Quakers won’t catch as many headlines across the state as some other teams, but they will have a chance to be very good this season. They will be put to the test in a very tough Charlie Hughes pool featuring Fishers, Chesterton, and Jeffersonville. Rising seniors Eli Ellis Eli Ellis 5'11" | SG Plainfield | 2024 State IN and Collin Schmidt are back, but the rising sophomore class is what could unlock their ceiling. Look for 6’7″ win Noah Smith Noah Smith 6'7" | SF Plainfield | 2026 State IN to have an excellent season.